SCRANTON — A man walked into the Career and Technology Center of Lackawanna County sometime over the holiday weekend and pulled out thermostats, tipped over computers, ripped out phone lines and took two items, Scranton police said.

An officer responded to the Rockwell Avenue school around 8 a.m. Tuesday after school officials discovered the theft, Lt. Glenn Thomas said.

A suspect was captured on surveillance video walking in the building holding a clinical baby doll and a sweatshirt stamped “CTC Nursing,” Lt. Thomas said.

The incident occurred between 7:45 and 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, administrative director Thomas Baileys, Ed.D., said. The doll, used in the nursing program to simulate a baby, was found in the school, Dr. Baileys said.

Anyone with information can contact the detectives at 570-348-4139.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

BRYANT UNIVERSITY

Michael Anthony Perry, Dunmore, Bachelor of Science, actuarial math.

CREIGHTON

UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF LAW

Matthew FitzPatrick, Clarks Summit, Juris Doctor.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Caitlin Taylor, Dunmore, Bachelor of Arts, criminology/pre-law.

JUNIATA COLLEGE

Alaina Marie Gercak, Wyoming, Bachelor of Science, environmental studies and human affairs; Cody Johnson, Bushkill, Bachelor of Science, mathematics and physics.

LEBANON VALLEY

COLLEGE

Cole Chamberlin, Milford, Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Physical Therapy, physical therapy; Natalie Horrocks, Factoryville, Bachelor of Science, early childhood education and special education; Genevieve Hugenbruch, Greentown, Bachelor of Arts, international studies and history and German, magna cum laude; Brittney Morse, Factoryville, Bachelor of Science, psychobiology, cum laude; and Jessica Zaleski, Jermyn, Bachelor of Science, psychology.

LYCOMING COLLEGE

Andrea Burleigh, Pleasant Mount, Bachelor of Arts, English literature, summa cum laude; Karisa Calvitti, Exeter, Bachelor of Arts, digital communications filmmaking and digital communications visual media, magna cum laude; Michael Chaput, Dickson City, Bachelor of Arts, criminal justice; Megan Cunningham, Clarks Summit, Bachelor of Arts, corporate communications and business marketing, IMS scholar honors; Melanie Harcum, Equinunk, Bachelor of Arts, creative writing; Nicole Marianelli, Old Forge, Bachelor of Science, biology: anatomy and physiology, summa cum laude; and Natalie Murphy, Honesdale, Bachelor of Arts, psychology, cum laude honors.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY

Victoria Ammermann, Beach Lake, Bachelor of Science, chemical engineering; Jennifer Brown, Factoryville, Bachelor of Science, chemical engineering; Kaitlin Dolan, Olyphant, Master of Education; Samuel Fumanti, Peckville, Bachelor of Science, electrical engineering; Cayla Miller, Archbald, Bachelor of Science, chemical engineering; Carol Reed, Lake Ariel, Master of Science; Rebecca Sproul, South Abington Twp., Bachelor of Science, chemical engineering; and Nicholas Schan, Tafton, Bachelor of Science, integrated arts/engineering.

SUNY POTSDAM

Elizabeth Hartman, South Abington Twp., Bachelor of Arts, art studio.

UNIVERSITY

OF VERMONT

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

Jordan Duffy, Hawley, Bachelor of Science, environmental engineering.

GRADUATE COLLEGE

Jeffrey Godowski, Jefferson Twp., Master of Education, higher education and student affairs administration.

RUBENSTEIN SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

Mark Pugsley, South Abington Twp., Bachelor of Science, forestry.

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE & LIFE SCIENCES

Harold Weinberger, Waverly, Bachelor of Science, ecological agriculture.

Help students with jobs

The Northeast Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation recently awarded a grant to Dimock’s Northern Tier Industry & Education Consortium at its second annual grant awards ceremony.

Pete Butler, the consortium’s executive director, and Marleen Butler, the consortium’s educational coordinator, accepted the award from the health care foundation’s board members.

Since being founded in 1993, NTIEC has served students in the five Northern Tier counties by integrating the education and employment processes. Programs at NTIEC over the past year include youth apprenticeships, job shadowing, Health Care Career Day, Careers in Energy, Manufacturing Career Day, Vehicular Career Day, Health Care Career Camp, Safety City, Rachel’s Challenge and Financial Literacy. The consortium has expanded services into Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

During the past year, the consortium has served more than 6,200 students and 90 teachers, and worked with more than 285 employers and mentors to help students and educators understand career opportunities through face-to-face interactions with employers.

Officers installed

The United Way Executive Association held its annual meeting and installation of officers for 2015-16 at POSH at the Scranton Club.

Officers include outgoing President Mary Lou Wascavich of the Lackawanna Blind Association; incoming President Richard Berezinsky of Telespond Senior Services; First Vice President Dan Cardonick of the Jewish Community Center; Second Vice President Sister Janet Jeffers of Catholic Social Services; Treasurer Grace Hogan of Day Nursery Association; and Secretary Sister Mary Alice Jacquinot of St. Joseph’s Center. Several other past presidents attended, including Trisha Thomas of the Boys & Girls Club; Sheila Nudelman-Abdo of Jewish Family Services, and Mary Anne Maloney-Evans of Serving Seniors Inc. Other members in attendance included Susan Kreidler and Debra Hess of Girls Scouts in the Heart of PA; Marcel Cinquina of Boy Scouts of America and Linda Steir of Meals on Wheels.

High notes

Mountain View Education Association members Jamie White and Rebekah Ihlefeldt organized a “Breakfast with Elsa” fundraiser for Mountain View’s Relay for Life.

Senior Jolie Winemiller played Elsa. She had breakfast with, read to, sang to and took pictures with the children in attendance. Children also were able to do arts and crafts activities and have their faces painted by Abington Art Studio. The event raised more than $900 for the American Cancer Society.

More than 100 people from eight states attended a student meet-up at Penn Foster’s Scranton campus earlier this month.

The meet-up, which attracted students, alumni, staff and their families, was part of the celebration of Penn Foster’s 125 year anniversary. Students had opportunities to meet fellow students and Penn Foster executives, faculty and staff; attend career-focused workshops presented by Penn Foster faculty on resume writing, job searching, interviewing and more; and participate in a recognition ceremony.

Professional headshots were taken of the graduates, and career counselors were on hand to review grads’ resumes and give advice. Kids were entertained with a balloon artist, Penn Foster-themed coloring activities, and arts and crafts. Attendees could also pose with props in a selfie booth, with photos automatically posting to Twitter.

Mike Eastman served as master of ceremonies and Mark Slayton, senior vice president of customer relationship management, handed out diplomas to to graduates in attendance. Dr. Jim Hurrell was the keynote speaker. Debb Spencer served as a student ambassador from Pennsylvania.

NEW YORK — Amazon is hiring 6,000 full-time workers to staff up across its more than 50 distribution centers in the U.S., including its centers in Hazleton and the Lehigh Valley, the company announced this week.

The workers will pick, pack and ship products to fulfill customer orders. Currently Amazon has about 50,000 full-time workers at the centers.

Amazon has been opening distribution centers across the country in order to speed up delivery times. Its $99 annual Prime membership service comes with free two-day delivery on many items.

The Seattle-based company employed about 154,100 full-time and part-time workers in total at the end of 2014.

— THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OLD FORGE — Folks had a captive audience Wednesday in U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, who met with them to answer questions about current issues and remind them of the services his offices offer.

During the meeting, the conversation circled around developing the local economy with jobs that pay well, which the congressman said can be found in manufacturing.

Volkswagen and its sister company, Audi, are building battery plants in the United States for electric cars, and three weeks ago, Mr. Cartwright traveled to Germany to see about getting one in his district, he said.

“I said ‘Boy, do we have a place for you to come and build a factory,’” Mr. Cartwright said.

Mr. Cartwright, D-17, Moosic, also touched on his disapproval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a pending trade agreement among Pacific-hugging nations that has sparked controversy largely because the details have been kept confidential.

He did not divulge what the document says, but said sections on labor and environment fall short for him.

The agreement lacks protection for the domestic labor force, and it also places no environmental protection restrictions on member countries.

Old Forge resident Carl Galletti pressed Mr. Cartwright for specifics on building a commuter rail from New York City to the region and whether there was a plan to save Social Security.

Mr. Cartwright said the media inflates the “doomsday date” for Social Security.

“That’s kind of a misnomer,” he said explaining that officials adjust the supposed expiration date gauging the economy, he said.

Requiring the nation’s wealthiest to pay into Social Security is one solution Mr. Cartwright said could help strengthen the program.

Restoring rail service needs a concerted effort among state and federal officials in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, he said, but added it would certainly boost manufacturing growth in the region.

Her town is not in the 17th district, but Clarks Summit borough council president Gerrie Carey attended to ask about veterans benefits.

“I think it’s a great idea because it brings people together that have questions,” she said of the meeting.

Though he was pleased the congressman held the meeting, Mr. Galletti said he did not get specific answers.

“Rather vague, nebulous,” he said, “But that’s just the way things are. No one wants to be pinned down.”

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com, @jon_oc on Twitter

Next year when visitors enter the former D.G. Yuengling & Son ice cream factory and see the numerous changes made to turn it into a gift shop and historical center, many will immediately pull out their cameras.

Attractions will include a beverage sampling bar in the vintage ice cream manufacturing area, and a replica of a wooden beer keg that’s more than 10 feet high. It’s going to be a dressing room in the gift shop.

“It’s nice, and we’re trying to do a nice thing for the city of Pottsville, spruce up the neighborhood and get rid of that eyesore. Plus we had the opportunity to put our museum and gift shop in there and improve on them. And, maybe, we’ll improve the traffic that we bring into downtown so it helps everybody,” Richard L. “Dick” Yuengling Jr., the brewery’s president, said Wednesday as he toured the building on the northeast corner of Mahantongo and Fifth streets in Pottsville.

Thomas A. Palamar, the city administrator, said he can’t wait to see it.

“Yuengling has always been a major attraction and not just for Pottsville and Schuylkill County, but the region. The completion of that project will strengthen that draw. And it’s going to give people another option, another reason to visit, another reason to stay around here a little longer,” Palamar said Wednesday.

The more than $6 million renovation project will continue through the year. While construction may wrap by the end of this year, the facility may not open until early 2016, Yuengling said.

“We get very busy at Christmas time, when we send out a couple hundred packages a day. So we’ll be busy doing that. It probably will be in January when we can get our employees used to the registers over there,” Yuengling said.

If the contractors finish the work sooner, the new gift shop may open sooner.

“I think we’re about 70 percent complete. The bulk of it is done, but we still have things to do, like the internal work, a lot of the electric and the heat. And the bar’s not in. The cooler for the beer isn’t in yet. We’re trying to finish it as quick as we can, but we want to do it the right way,” Yuengling said.

Heim Construction Co., Pottsville, is the general contractor. Subcontractors include Muncy Glass Lock Doors, Pottsville. Work began in fall 2014.

When Yuengling discussed the project in October, he estimated the project would cost more than $2 million. On Wednesday he said “it’s three times that.”

“For starters, the place was a mess. It took half a million dollars just to clean up. There was lead-based paint in there and all kinds of stuff that they used back in the ’20s when they built it,” Yuengling said.

The public will only be able to access one floor of the building when it’s open. That will be the first floor, which will be accessible from the Mahantongo Street entrance.

That entrance door is yet to be installed.

When visitors step in, they’ll find themselves in the new gift shop.

Sales and display counters have been set up. Some are accented with sections of wooden barrels.

“That was Jenn’s idea,” Yuengling said, referring to Jenn Kruss, manager of the current gift shop at the Mahantongo Street brewery.

“One of the reasons we’re doing this is we’ve outgrown where we are. We see upwards of 70,000 visitors a year. And it goes up every year,” Yuengling said.

To the right, they’ll see the former ice cream manufacturing room.

“It’s all white brick. We’re going to keep that to preserve the aesthetics of the place. That’s where the hospitality room will be, a sampling room. We’ll have tables here,” Yuengling said.

A stairwell which was part of the ice-cream-making operation will remain, but the public will not be allowed to climb it.

“We want to let that there because it’s kind of neat. This is the area where they mixed the ice cream. It came down through pipes into the lower level where it was packaged,” Yuengling said.

On the other side of the future gift shop will be a room dedicated to the brewery’s history.

“Our museum currently is in our gift shop,” Kruss said.

The expanded museum in the former ice cream factory will include artifacts from the brewery’s history, like a vintage wooden sales counter which was being stored in the offices of the Mahantongo Street brewery.

“And I think we’re going to establish a time line here on the wall,” Kruss said.

D.G. Yuengling, the founder, was born in Germany in 1806. He traveled to America in 1823 and started brewing malt liquor in Pottsville soon afterward.

Yuengling established its first brewery in 1829 at 401 N. Centre St. When a fire destroyed the facility in 1830, Yuengling constructed a new brewery in 1831 at 501 Mahantongo St., where it still operates today.

Yuengling built the ice cream factory in 1920 in response to Prohibition to make up for lost beer sales. It’s a 40,000-square-foot concrete, brick and steel structure. The side bordering Mahantongo Street is two stories high and the side bordering West Norwegian Street is four stories high.

After the ice cream factory closed in 1985, Yuengling donated the property to St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, Pottsville. The church sold it to Smith & Smith Contracting, which used it for storage. Then, in the mid-1990s, Yuengling bought the building back for about $125,000.

The Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority has been working with Yuengling on the development of an industrial wastewater pretreatment plant for the brewery.

On Feb. 27, the authority received the plan, titled “Equipment Descriptions and Specifications for the Anaerobic Treatment Project at D.G. Yuengling & Son Brewery, Pottsville, PA.” Dated Dec. 2, 2014, it was prepared by Systems Design Engineering Inc., Leesport.

It’s being built on the north side of the former ice cream factory on a parking lot which could accommodate 20 vehicles.

On May 6, cranes worked to install four tanks in that area. They are more than 15 feet high.

“There might be some room for some cars down there, but we have to wait until we’re finished to see how much room we’ll have there,” Yuengling said.

The lower level accessible from the north side of the property will be used for the gift shop’s shipping department. The top floor of the former ice cream factory will remain vacant.

“It won’t be finished. We didn’t go in and paint the beams and stuff like that. I don’t have any plans for it,” Yuengling said.

A 38-year-old Delaware man defrauded his former employer, a Benton Twp. contracting company, of more than $11,000 by negotiating extra work to be paid directly to him, even though he used company resources to get the jobs done, state police at Dunmore said Wednesday.

Ryan Boone of Bethany Beach, Delaware, also submitted a counterfeit proposal and two counterfeit invoices that indicated he generated more than $100,000 in anticipated revenue for ServiceMaster by Griffing, making him eligible for two performance bonuses worth $1,500, according to a criminal complaint filed by Cpl. Benjamin Clark, the criminal investigations unit supervisor at the Dunmore barracks.

Mr. Boone’s attorney, Joseph R. D’Andrea, said the case is without merit and, at best, should be a civil matter.

“What we really have here is a disgruntled boss who was unhappy with my client,” Mr. D’Andrea said.

SMG Owner, Christopher Griffing, contacted state police to report the unscrupulous activities of his former Pottsville manager had caused the company a significant financial loss, the affidavit stated.

“The charges were meritorious, there’s been an arrest made,” Mr. Griffing said. “We’re looking forward to a positive outcome.”

The money received by SMG for some projects Mr. Boone managed were not consistent with the projects’ labor and materials expenditures, state police said.

“The defendant engaged in a pattern of behavior that involved his negotiating construction work from SMG clients that involved projects above and beyond the work that SMG was initially hired to complete,” Cpl. Clark wrote in an affidavit supporting the charges. “The additional work would be performed by SMG employees utilizing materials and equipment purchased by SMG but the property owners would pay (Mr. Boone) directly.”

Mr. Boone did not return a phone message Wednesday.

For example, Mr. Boone managed a February 2014 project to mitigate water damage at Sandra Brando’s Wapwallopen home, for which she received an SMG invoice for $4,537.10, state police said. While there, Mr. Boone pointed out additional work he believed was necessary and said SMG could handle the job. He wrote a second proposal that read “Please make checks payable to Ryan Boone” and was paid $8,300 in three installments. The company paid out $5,163.25 in labor costs and $3,493.83 in materials for the extra work, state police said.

State police also said Mr. Boone pocketed $160 in snow removal fees. The company’s Pottsville office is leased by Palko & Guers Properties Ltd., which has an agreement to pay SMG $20 each time they removed snow from the property.

Mr. Boone is charged with several felonies, including theft by deception, receiving stolen property, diversion of services and two counts of forgery. He is also charged with misdemeanor counts of theft and deceptive business practices.

Mr. Boone is free on $5,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 8 at 10:15 a.m.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

Lehigh Valley Health Network and Pocono Medical Center have signed a letter of intent to merge, LVHN officials confirmed late Thursday morning.

Matthew Burns, media relations coordinator, said more information will be released shortly.

LVHN is the Lehigh Valley's largest employer with a workforce of 13,000 workers. The network includes four hospitals: one in Allentown, one in Salisbury Township, one in Bethlehem and one in Hazleton; 12 health centers caring for communities in five counties; numerous primary- and specialty-care physician practices throughout the region; pharmacies; imaging, home health services and lab services; and preferred-provider services through Valley Preferred.

The network also hosts a medical school program in partnership with the University of South Florida in Tampa.

On Wednesday, LVHN announced a $93.6 million expansion of Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg that will feature a birthing center on its west Bethlehem campus. The facility, which officials said could accommodate 2,000 births a year, would offer obstetrics and newborn services for the first time in the campus' 54-year history.

According to its website, Pocono Medical Center has more than 200 physicians and more than 1,850 staff members. According to its fiscal year 2014 annual report, Pocono Health System has one hospital, three immediate care centers and more than 20 service locations.

In fiscal year 2014, Pocono Health System had total revenue of $269.7 million and total operational expenses of almost $263.3 million.

According to a news release, Pocono Medical Center on Oct. 9, 2014, announced plans to construct a second campus hospital facility, called Pocono Medical Center West, on a 40-acre site in Tannersville, Pocono Township.

Check back for updates to this story on themorningcall.com.

jon.harris@mcall.com

Twitter @ByJonHarris

610-820-6779

Copyright © 2015, The Morning Call

SCRANTON — A 53-year-old woman was assaulted an robbed while running in South Scranton early Thursday morning, city police said.

The woman told officers a man emerged from some bushes as she approached the 100 block of Crown Avenue at 1 a.m., Lt. Glenn Thomas said.

The man struck her on the side of her face and knocked her to the ground, then stole an orange-and-black fanny pack that contained more than $100 in cash and some identification cards, Lt. Thomas said.

The incident happened too quickly for her to have a description better than a man in his mid-40s.

Anyone with information can contact detectives at 570-348-4139.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SCRANTON — One or more burglars broke into a long vacant South Scranton home within the last month and stole copper pipes and power tools, Scranton police said.

Roberto Pires told police he bought the house in the 500 block of Genet Street three months ago and had last been there one month ago, Lt. Glenn Thomas said. Mr. Pires reported the burglary to police around 11:40 a.m. Wednesday.

It’s not clear exactly how much copper pipe had been stolen. A cordless drill and circular saw was also missing. There was no clear indication how the thief or thieves entered the home.

Anyone with information can contact detectives at 570-348-4139.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SCRANTON — A 21-year-old Scranton mother left her infant son in the backseat of her unlocked car for at least eight minutes Tuesday while she was in the South Main Avenue Walgreens, Scranton police said.

Anastasia Byler, 924 Luzerne St., was charged with endangering the welfare of children and leaving an unattended child in a motor vehicle after Patrolman James A. Smith responded to the store around noon Tuesday, an affidavit states. The car was left unlocked and running with the air conditioner on, which was not very cold, police said. The high on Tuesday was 89 degrees.

Ms. Byler was released after her arraignment Tuesday on $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

Scranton police charged a 38-year-old Old Forge man on Wednesday with assault on accusations he threw a woman down a staircase.

Jeremy Thompson, 216 Sussex St., argued with Tanya Gaddy Wednesday, which turned violent when they returned to 1629 Church Ave. around 7:28 a.m.

Ms. Gaddy walked up the staircase first, follow by Mr. Thompson, who held Ms. Gaddy’s son under his arm, “football style,” according to a criminal complaint filed by Patrolman James Priorielli. The child cried Mr. Thompson was hurting him, police said in an affidavit.

A confrontation broke out about a third of the way up the staircase and Mr. Thompson knocked her against the walls and threw her down the stairs, police said.

She briefly lost consciousness and her son called police telling them his mother was dead, police said.

She was alert and responsive when police arrived, though Mr. Thompson was gone. Police arrested him later Wednesday.

Mr. Thompson is charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of children and harassment.

Mr. Thompson is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter.

A Wyalusing couple is facing charges after Lackawanna County investigators said they accepted more than $14,000 for construction projects that were never completed.

Charles Sanders, 37, and his girlfriend, Jamie Chandler, 37, turned themselves in Thursday morning to face two counts each of home improvement fraud, theft by deception, and deceptive and fraudulent business practices. Some of those charges are categorized as felonies because one of the victims was over 60, Assistant District Attorney Suzanne Tierney said Thursday.

The investigation began when county Detective Rene Castellani received a complaint from John Fenton of Scranton, who said he had hired the couple, operating as Scorpion Enterprises LLC, to install a roof on his home. He was told the job would cost about $6,000, investigators said. Mr. Fenton paid about $3,200 to Mr. Sanders and Ms. Chandler. About $1,000 worth of materials was delivered to the home, but work on the roof never began.

When Mr. Fenton called the city’s permits department, he discovered that Mr. Sanders never applied for the proper permits to do the project. When confronted, Mr. Sanders told Mr. Fenton he would return the money, but he never did. Mr. Fenton then took his case to magistrate court. Mr. Sanders and Ms. Chandler never showed up for a hearing on March 15, detectives said, and the magisterial district judge ordered them to pay Mr. Fenton back.

Meanwhile, Detective Castellani also received a complaint regarding the couple from Harold Whymeyer, a friend of Mr. Fenton’s. He had hired Mr. Sanders and Ms. Chandler to put a roof on properties he owned on the 600 block of Willow Street. After that job was completed, Mr. Whymeyer hired them to replace siding and insulate 20 windows. He paid them a total of $11,200 for those jobs, but the work was never finished, detectives said.

The detective said Mr. Sanders spoke to her several times during the investigation and admitted he “failed to perform work for the victims,” according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case. He agreed to pay back Mr. Fenton and Mr. Whymeyer by April 15 but did not, detectives said.

Neither Mr. Sanders nor Ms. Chandler could be reached Thursday for comment. It was not clear whether either had attorneys.

Mr. Sanders was free on $10,000 unsecured bail. Ms. Chandler remains in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.

THROOP — The public will soon get a second opportunity to ask state regulators and Keystone Sanitary Landfill representatives questions about the landfill’s proposed expansion plan.

The state Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting from 6 to 10 p.m. on Monday, June 15, at Mid Valley High School, the agency announced Thursday.

— KYLE WIND

Browndale

Car show: Browndale Fire Company car show, Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., fire company grounds, 620 Marion St., car show, swap meet, model car contest, food, music, raffles, vendors, Tullys of Custom Auto and Cycle, Olyphant, winners of the Biker Build Off; $15 day of show, spectator admission free; 570-785-5300 or browndalefire@gmail.com.

Carbondale

Spring concert: Classic Voices spring concert, “Voices Along the River,” Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Greater Carbondale Chamber of Commerce building, 27 N. Main St., variety of music, donations accepted.

Diocese of Scranton

Golf tournament: Diocese of Scranton sixth annual Vocations Golf Classic, July 13, lunch, 11 a.m., shotgun start, noon, Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club, Mountaintop; captain and crew format, reception/awards dinner follow; $250, includes cart, green fees, lunch, dinner, reception; donations welcome, $100/hole sponsorships, Diocesan Development Office, 570-207-2250 or www.dioceseofscranton.org.

Greene, Dreher Twps.

Society meeting: Greene-Dreher Historical Society meeting, Monday, 1 p.m., Peggy Bancroft Hall, South Sterling, Dr. Wayne Moreau presenting “The History of Gouldsboro: Leather, Iron, and Ice,” brief business meeting.

Lackawanna County

Memorial dedication: Friends of the Forgotten Inc. Northeast Wing dedication of the Lackawanna County Korean War Memorial, Saturday, noon, World War II Memorial, South Blakely and Cherry streets (near tank), Dunmore, rifle salute by Marine Corps League Northeast Detachment, local dignitaries, raising of the colors, Dunmore High School Band and Show Chorus, President Judge Thomas Munley, remarks by former Scranton Mayor David Wenzel and Dunmore Mayor Patrick Loughney, American Legion Kosziuszko Post Color Guard and wreath presentation to the Arnone family.

Midvalley

PEER graduation: Mid Valley Manor PEER graduation, June 5, 2 p.m., 85 Sturges Road, Blakely; Linda Korgeski, 570-344-7190, by Monday.

Old Forge

Committee meetings: Old Forge Board of Education student activities and personnel committee meeting, Monday; budget committee meeting, June 8, all 7 p.m., LGI.

Poconos

June programs: National Park Service June programs for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area’s 50th anniversary: National Trails Day Hike from Hialeah to Smithfield Beach, June 6, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Hialeah Picnic Area; National Get Outdoors Day Hike of Rattlesnake Swamp, June 13, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Mohican Outdoor Center, main office; citizen science fishing contest, June 13, 2-6 p.m., Blue Mountain Lakes, no license needed, preregistration requested, 570-426-2430 by June 11; nature photography workshop, June 14, 9 a.m.-noon, Pocono Environmental Education Center; Dingmans After Dark lantern stroll, June 19, 8:30-9:30 p.m., Dingmans Falls Visitor Center, space limited, 570-426-2430 by June 17 to reserve a lantern; Zimmerman open house, June 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Marie Zimmerman House; Dingmans After Dark night sky program, June 26, 8:30-9:30 p.m., Dingmans Falls Visitor Center; old-fashioned Independence Day celebration, June 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Millbrook Village; directions, 570-426-2452, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., www.nps.gov/dewa; or www.Facebook.com/DelWaterGapNPS.

Riverside

School District

Early dismissals: Riverside elementary schools Act 80 Day early dismissal, June 5: East, 11 a.m./West, 11:30; district early dismissals: June 15, high school, 11:07 a.m., East Elementary, 11:40 and West Elementary, 12:10 p.m.; June 16 and June 17, high school, 10:02 a.m., East Elementary, 10:30 and West Elementary, 11.

Scranton

Fashion show: Sanderson Place Salon and Day Spa/Pop-It Boutique Charity Summer Fashion Show, Saturday, 7-9 p.m., 1805 Sanderson Ave.,benefits Lou Ruspi Jr. Foundation for suicide and mental health awareness; basket raffles, light refreshments.

South Scranton

Seniors meet: Friendly Seniors of South Scranton meeting Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., St. Paul of the Cross Parish Center, Prospect Avenue.

Susquehanna County

Benefit dinner: Spaghetti dinner benefit for Auburn Twp. resident Montana Cole, Sunday, noon-5 p.m., Black Walnut American Legion, $9/adults, $5/children and free/under 5, live auction, basket raffle, bake sale and live music; Ben and Phyllis Cole, 570-833-5813, or Ed and Amber Zygmunt, 570-869-2353, Montana-Cole Benefit on Facebook, or Melissa Riscavage, 570-885-5864; contributions can also be made at Peoples Security Bank & Trust or online at gofundme.com/Montanas_hope/

Tunkhannock

Cancer lecture: Tyler Memorial Hospital staff surgeon Robert L. Glicini, M.D., breast cancer, treatment/surgery options lecture, Tuesday, 6 p.m., Tunkhannock Public Library, 220 W. Tioga St., free, light refreshments; 570-552-7423.

West Pittston

Committee meeting: West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival committee meeting, Sunday, 5 p.m., school building behind Corpus Christi Parish, wear committee shirts for photo.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@timesshamrock.com or mailed to Clipboard, c/o the YES!Desk at 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys in the case against accused correctional officer killer Jessie Con-ui finally agree on something — deadlines to resolve legal issues leading up to his July 2016 capital murder trial.

The two sides recently agreed on a “joint proposed trial schedule” that outlines the pretrial steps leading up to jury selection on July 11, 2016.

Mr. Con-ui, a gang assassin already facing a potential life sentence for an Arizona murder conviction, will stand trial for the slaying of Correctional Officer Eric Williams, 34, of Nanticoke, killed Feb. 25, 2013, at U.S. Penitentiary at Canaan.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Mr. Con-ui.

U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo approved the pre-trial timeline submitted to him, according a court filing Thursday.

Some of the deadlines include: Motions to compel discovery must be made by Aug. 15; challenges to the federal death penalty must be submitted by Sept. 14; all guilt phase experts, and their qualifications, must be disclosed between the parties by Dec. 7; attorneys must give the court a joint juror questionnaire by Jan. 19; and additional motions about the trial and guilt phase should be submitted by April 11.

A final pretrial conference will be held the week of June 13, 2016, and a final motions hearing will be held the week of June 27.

As he awaits trial, Mr. Con-ui, 38, is jailed at ADX Florence, the supermaximum security prison in Colorado known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies.”

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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Luzerne County Community College issued 823 degrees at Thursday’s graduation ceremony and presented Maria Marianacci with the Outstanding Graduate Award.

Ms. Marianacci, 20, earned an associate degree in pre-mortuary science and is a summa cum laude graduate. She found out she won the award a week ago.

“I figured it went to someone else,” she said. “I did a lot of hard work and was kind of hoping for it.”

The Wyoming resident hopes to finish her education at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and then start a career as a funeral director and mortician.

“This award represents a student who has excelled academically and has participated in college and community activities,” said Bonnie Brennan Lauer, the alumni relations director at Luzerne County Community College. “Maria is an excellent example of an LCCC student who has done exactly that and we wish her the best of luck in her future.”

Ms. Marianacci graduated from Wyoming Area High School in 2013, and the topic of her high school senior project was mortuary science.

“You had to pick a topic, and I loved anatomy,” she said. “I have come to love the field.”

Luzerne County Community College had two pre-mortuary graduates this year and 13 students in the program for the spring 2015 semester.

“It’s a small number,” Ms. Marianacci said.

Pre-mortuary is part of the science department, which has nine faculty members, and they teach throughout the science curricula.

“I absolutely loved it there,” Ms. Marianacci said.

The nursing program produced the most graduates this semester at the college with 11.

General studies was next with 102.

Business management followed with 42. Criminal justice had 38, and early childhood education had 31.

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Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County’s class of 2015 graduated Thursday night. The students will also graduate from their home high schools in the coming weeks.

Graduates included:

Michael Abbott, Michael Alunni, Ryan Ancherani, Thorin Atkinson, Alexandra Auriemma, Douglas Babcock, Nichole Bartoli, Paul Beaudoin, Jeremy Bell, Santino Bellucci, Dora Bergeron, Brian Betley, Lisa Bogaski, George Bohnenberger, Kevin Bohnenberger, Jr., Kayla Bosak, Matthew Bourassa, Alex Boyarsky, David Bradshaw, Christopher Brink, Charley Brown, Raymond Call, Sebastian Canfield, Sahara Chandler, Matthew Clutter, and Daniel Colachino, Jose Colon, Lauren Cook, Carl Cordero, David Costa, Sean Cunningham, Tyler Czachor, Daryl Dantuono, Jenna Davis, Leah Demarco, Alex Dempsey, Salvatore Desanto, Alexis Diaz Knight, Joseph Dombkowski, Colin Dougher, Dustin Duverge, Rosemary Echevarria, Shelby Erdos, Melissa Evans, Padriac Foley, Samantha Giehl, Connor Gilbride, Joshua Golaszweski, Kevin Gonzalez, Lucas Granville, Nichole Griffiths, Felicia Grosel, Karla Gutierrez, Brooke Hallstead, Alishia Heisey, Kayla Hill, Lorraine Irizarry Gonzalez, Elijah Izak, Jessica Jarosh, Jeremy Jarrow, Jacelynn Jenkins, Jean Marie Jenkins, Thomas Jennings, Turhan Jerome, Kristen Jones, Kira Karboski, Justin Keiper, Andrea Kennedy, Connor Kiernan, Steve Koch, Ronald Kochmer, Jerid Kopa, Ethan Kreinces, Jestin Krinsky Joseph Lapiers, Katelynn Lapiers, Heather Lark, Kendra Larnerd, Jake Leclaire, Brett Lesh, Robin Lewis, Shane Loomis, Nathan McAndrew, Connor McCarthy, Alexandra Megivern, Raymond Meoni, Richard Merritt, Robert Minunno, Adam Morris, Connor Neidrich, Nicholas Newton, Darian Olfano, Jose Olivares, Ian Owens, Valeria Paz, John Peterson, Brittany Phillips, Kory Price, Eric Raebel, Kaitlyn Rebernik, Shawn Reed, James Rinaldi, Cristian Rodriguez, Nidaliz Rolon, Melissa Rowe, Katelyn Ruffner, Brian Rutkowski, Pedro Santiago, Loni Schneider, Elizabeth Sherman, William Shook, Bailey Sleboda, Austin Smith, Maria Smith, Tyler Soto, Brianna Spizzirri, Jade Staples, Jason Strasburger, Nicholas Taroli, Mario Tarquini, Michael Tart, Michelle Tenore, Alexis Thomas, Dexter Thomas, Laurencia Thomas, Blake Tyson, Corey Ubaldini, Christopher Valenza, Matthew Veina, Katrina Vitucci, Christopher Wallen, Robert Waltos, Johnathon Weber, Nadia Wegleski, David Weisel, Victoria White, Cejay Williams, Christopher Williams, Meghan Williams, Brandon Wombacker, Nasir Woods, Tyler Yadlosky, Ariel Young, Brooke Young and Adam Youshock.

Waddle results

in at the Comm

We now know who walked and ran the fastest of the 108 participants in the Waverly Waddle 5K Walk/Run.

Women’s overall running winner was Kristin Patchell-Pellis of Waverly Twp. Lee Toussaint of Milford took the men’s overall honors. Sandy Davidock took the top women’s walking honors. David Pease of Clarks Summit had the best men’s walking time.

The event to honor mothers and caregivers at the Waverly Community House was co-chaired by Cheryl Farrell and Emily Karam. Timing was provided by Scranton Running Co.

Other female winners (by age group, first, second and third places, respectively), include: Under 12: Megan McDonald, Lauren Fahey, Maggie Martin, all of Dalton; 13-18: Kate Chickillo, North Abington Twp.; Carlee MacPherson, Clarks Summit; Lily Martin, Dalton; 19-29: Sarah Stark, Clarks Summit; Abby LeClair; 30-39: Grace Hillebrand, Clarks Summit; Judy Riff; Meredith MacPherson, Clarks Summit; 40-49: Beth Pucilowski, Clarks Summit; Lynn Hobbs, Dalton; Marlene Schofield, Clarks Summit; 50 and over: Ellen McGuigan, Clarks Summit; Fiona Ross, Scotland; Heidi Smith.

Other male winners (by age group, first, second and third places, respectively), include: Under 12: Jack Allardyce, Moosic; Owen Lisk, Nick Booth, both of Dalton; 13-18: Kaleb Sherman, Clarks Summit; Bryce Genello, Nicholson; 19-29: George Watson, Scranton; Geoffrey Musti, Scranton; James Farrell, Clarks Summit; 30-39: Ken Hollis, Clarks Summit; Chris Carpenter, South Abington Twp.; Eric Burns, Forest City; 40-49: Andrew Martin, John Lounsbery, both of Dalton; 50 and over: Gerard Snyder, North Abington Twp.; Bill Booth, Dalton; Bill Fiore, Clarks Green.

Summer picnic

Committee members are finalizing plans for the annual Summer Picnic at Waldorf Park to benefit programs at Serving Seniors Inc., which is celebrating 40 years of community work.

Mary Bowen, Mary Beth D’Andrea, Tom Galella, JoAnn Romano Halesky, Dianne Jeffers, Patricia Kennedy, Mary Anne Maloney-Evans, Lauren McRae and Beth Rossi say the Sunday June 7, 3-7 p.m., event will be conducted rain or shine at the venue in the East Mountain section of Scranton. Basket raffles, a volleyball tournament, hot and cold buffet, grilled picnic foods, desserts and beverages will be featued. EJ the DJ will provide music.

High notes

When Michael Altier celebrated his 100th birthday at Mondtale Country Club many of his nieces and nephews were among those on hand to honor him. There with their “Uncle Mike” to commemorate his May 8 birthday were: Anthony Altier, Arthur Altier, Marc Altier, Robert Altier, George Bonifanti, Richard Bonifanti, Georgeanne Bonifanti-Church, Alisann Bonifanti-Romanelli, Marie Clarke, Hugh DeFazio, Mari Haas, Michael Ippoliti, Dolores Judge, Joan Liedtke, Charles Marzacco, Robert Marzacco, Gloria Pike and Marie Williams.

State environmental regulators have assigned a staff geologist to review 13-year-old reports analyzing a possible link between harmful gases found below Dunmore and the Keystone Sanitary Landfill.

A licensed geologist from the Department of Environmental Protection’s environmental cleanup and brownfields program will examine a 2002 report that compared gases found below Dunmore to samples taken at an abandoned coal mine site near Carbondale and another landfill in Schuylkill County, spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said. The agency’s action comes a month after a Times-Tribune investigative report revealed the DEP ended a seven-year search for the gases’ source with no definitive answers.

Among other reports, Ms. Connolly said the DEP will also review a 2002 response by John Mellow, a retired DEP geologist who served a lead role in the case.

Mr. Mellow and his retired co-worker, Robert Gadinski, interpreted years of evidence to conclude Keystone was the most likely source of carbon dioxide that displaced oxygen in mined-out coal seams below the borough. They also found other gases they believe pointed to the landfill as a source. The two said they believe taking underground gas samples on landfill property was a crucial step to proving or disproving its unlined section the source. Their supervisors would not allow them to do so, they said.

No emergency

Lack of emergency health impacts and unclear evidence led state environmental regulators to close the investigation and move on to other issues, said Mr. Mellow’s and Mr. Gadinski’s former supervisor, Joseph “Jody” Brogna. He spoke Tuesday to The Times-Tribune about why the investigation ended with no underground sampling on Keystone property.

“If the decision-makers used some kind of criteria, emergency would have been the one,” he said.

With so many environmental issues affecting the region, the DEP used a “triage” approach to prioritize sites with more serious hazards, said the 35-year DEP staffer who retired about 10 years ago.

“If it was deemed necessary, it would have been agreed upon to do more testing,” he said.

In 2004, DEP managers closed the investigation that first began with carbon monoxide found in a few Dunmore homes in February 1997. In one home, a teenager nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

That year, state and federal agencies spent about six months tracing carbon monoxide levels to blasting by a state Department of Transportation contractor during Interstate 81 construction.

During Mr. Mellow’s and Mr. Gadinski’s investigations, intriguing levels of gases continued to be found in boreholes and a few homes years after PennDOT stopped blasting.

Yet, DEP has not received any more complaints about gas intrusion in borough homes since the original reports in 1997, Ms. Connolly said.

The landfill’s gas collection system has been sucking gases out of the unlined section, she said. Regular inspections indicate the system is working properly. Sampling of the landfill’s groundwater monitoring wells has never indicated a gas migration problem, she said.

“There is no indication, based on conditions at the landfill, that would suggest that it is a source of gas migration,” she said.

Landfill notified

Mr. Mellow first named Keystone as a likely source in an August 2000 report interpreting months of testing in 16 boreholes drilled around Dunmore.

A newly released document confirms the landfill’s owners were aware of Mr. Mellow’s report. Two folders from the now-closed Office of Surface Mining office in Wilkes-Barre were not originally included in the DEP’s response to the newspaper’s records request.

“The consensus among the DEP people was to leave this report as it stands,” Office of Surface Mining engineer David Philbin wrote in an October 2000 note. “DEP also said that they would ‘approach’ the landfill owner with the report. They also seemed to agree that further investigation sites would not be necessary.”

No one has been able to identify exactly who decided not to drill or sample on the landfill.

Mr. Mellow disputed Mr. Brogna’s statement that more testing, including on landfill property, was not necessary. While he agreed that his own program could not continue under its mission, he said he believes other DEP programs should have taken up the issue.

When the environmental cleanup program ended its involvement in 2003, Mr. Mellow wrote memos to the chiefs of the DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation and its waste management program detailing the evidence he had amassed in this case. Neither took up the issue.

Regardless of whether the landfill is the source, a monitoring program is still necessary to find out whether the problem still exists today, Mr. Mellow and Mr. Gadinski said.

“The problem was, at the time we had very serious, dangerous levels,” Mr. Mellow said. “Even if you didn’t buy into the theory of Keystone as the source, you still had lethal low levels of (carbon dioxide). It seemed to be something I didn’t think was worth abandoning at the time.”

The landfill has opened its own investigation into whether it was the source, consultant Albert Magnotta said. After The Times-Tribune’s April 26 report, landfill staff handed the story to EarthRes, a Pipersville consulting firm, Mr. Magnotta said. They are researching the matter but have not produced a report yet, he said.

“I’m absolutely positive it’s going to be a question we’re going to have to address in the harms/benefits,” Mr. Magnotta said, referring to a test DEP must perform to decide whether to grant a proposed expansion requested by the landfill.

Contact the writer: bgibbons@timesshamrock.com, @bgibbonsTT on Twitter